limatunes

In another post in another thread entirely, Sergeant Mac linked this video...

YouTube - Carlie Brucia Abduction

I must have watched the movie at least 3 dozen times by now.

Let's ignore the fact that she had poor situational awareness. She's an eleven year-old girl walking home through a car wash parking lot, but let's forget that for a moment. We all have our moments of weakness and to say that you could never be caught off guard is to be naive. We prepare for the worst, this is the worst, let's role with it. While I would HOPE that all of us would be able to avoid this situation by utilizing good situational awareness, that's not what I want to talk about.

Nor do I want to talk about THIS PARTICULAR situation. It's a tragic situation, for sure, but not what I want to focus on.

What I want to point out is how contact was made.

The attacker in this situation did nothing more and nothing less than grab her right arm. He spends four to five seconds talking to her (more than likely threatening her or promising her she will not be hurt if she complies with his demands) and then he drags her away out of camera view.

All I could think about when I watched this video, time after time after time, was that if she were me, and I were in her place, my first contact with this attacker would have been him grabbing my gun arm. I would be forced to go either hand-to-hand or to move to a weak-sided tool of defense. Which, if you watch the video, would have been more than ideal in this particular scenario. There are several opportunities where a weak-sided defense tool could have been used to escape this situation.

I gave myself a little pat on the back for my decision to carry my Ka-Bar TDI weak-side with my spare mag, but then it plagued me that the TDI is usually the ONLY tool I carry weak-sided (my Ti-Light is strong side as well as any other folders I carry), and what's worse is that I don't ALWAYS carry it. In that case I would be forced to go hand-to-hand in order to free myself; a skill I have not practiced as oft as I should.

In this particular situation, the TDI would have been well utilized (were it available) because the nature of it being a fixed blade would make it easy to deploy needing no special flicks of the wrist or devices to make it ready. A couple stabs and slashs to the abdomen and/or arm and more than likely I would have been free to run and the BG would be picking his intestines off of the pavement.

But I still remembered that I didn't carry my TDI today and no matter how well-utilized a tool could be, it's only as good as it's presence in the situation.

So, to better round my skills, when JD got home from work today I described the scenario to him, told him to grab my gun arm and we walked through some hand-to-hand combat ways to break free and escape (his combat training helps him to better teach me practical and effective ways to escape certain situations and his patience and care make him a very effective teacher).

So, after beating JD up a little bit and going through some other grabs and scenarios I felt a little more prepared should I need to go hand-to-hand but felt that the BEST defense would be a defensive tool (or two) specifically designated for weak-sided combat should the strong side be disabled in some way before a gun can even enter the picture.

My resolve to carry the TDI more often and possibly stick another folder in my left front pocket (or back pocket) was reinforced three-fold.

So what of it? Do you have a designated weak-side defensive tool?

If not, why not?

If so, what do you have and how would you utilize it should your strong side be disabled?

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HotGuns

I carry one of several knives clipped in my left pocket. Since I am left handed, it is not an issue since I shoot right handed due to being right eyed dominate.

Pin my gun arm and you will get stuck.

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If you carry a gun for protection, then learn to shoot like your LIFE depends on it, because some day it might.

grady

I agree with your point about weak-side weapons.

My weak hand isn't trained enough to open a folder reliably under stress, so I recently started carrying a TDI on my weak side (still accessible to my strong hand). Love this TDI.

I also carry a BUG in my weak-hand front pocket.

I ALWAYS carry these weapons, in addition to my primary. Well, almost always--I haven't figured out how to carry the TDI with a tucked in shirt, but it's pretty rare that I tuck a shirt in.

I don't feel my self-defense package is complete without the TDI and a BUG. Strong hand has spray (spray also accessible to weak hand) and primary weapon available to it.

Options are good.

CAJUN600

Yes, I carry a small defensive folder on my weak side.

However, for the ultimate weak side defense, look at my avatar.

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ElMonoDelMar

I've got the same situation as HotGuns. Shoot right handed and do everything else lefty. My knife is always in my left pocket.

HowardCohodas

As soon as I get it, it will be Ruger LCP in left front pocket.

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Howard
I carry a gun because I can't carry a cop!!
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camsdaddy

I carry my EDC my P32 in my left pocket. I have always felt that if I were being attacked I would stand a better chance pushing or grabbing with my strong hand and shooting with my left. Though I am right handed I practice shooting left handed pretty often and feel quite comfortable shooting this way. Never realized it might be a better idea than I thought also my knife is accessable to my right hand also.

HKR

Either a blade or a .22Mag NAA revolver on the left side. If you carry a light then they can make a good striking tool as well.
I once saw a guy hit with a full extra mag in the throat and ear. The aggressor let go quickly.

JudoJake

Outstanding observation.

Although a support side weapon is a good idea, I don't think that is necessary in this case. I have taught several womens self defense classes and here is what I have come up with. Six extremely simple techniques. Eye gouge, knee strike, head butt, elbow, slap and grab, and a bite.

These are all very dirty fighting techniques, that can be learned with little or no training. The beauty is that they are all you really need to know. Remember although these techniques might knock out your attacker, they are employed to create distance. Once distance is created, the would be victim could draw a gun, pepper spray, stun gun, improvised weapon, or simply run Absent of a support side weapon, and maybe even with it, the goal is to create distance, so that the firearm can be drawn.

If you wanted to keep your tool box small(six techniques) then when you are attacked by someone grabbing your arm, as in the video, simply chose between a small number of techniques, to create distance. And the answer is, bite! If I was holding your wrist and you started bitting at my arm, I would let go. Then you draw the gun.

To a lesser degree, an eye gouge, a slap and grab to his testicles, and maybe a head but would have worked to. She never would have gotten in a good elbow or a good knee, and that is why I teach six, so that you have options, but not too many options. I like to give them a one two. For instance, he grabs your wrist, you eye gouge and then bite. He lets go and you draw your gun.

kazzaerexys

Well, Maryland doesn't let me carry a gun, but if I had the gun on my right hip the folder would be in my left pocket. Therefore I always carry it there, and I practice pulling and opening it left-handed often.

My problem is not being allowed to carry the strong-side tool.

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